


Helpless

by My_Dear_Watson



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 00:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19734505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Dear_Watson/pseuds/My_Dear_Watson
Summary: Intent on making the Deputy say yes, John decides to use her family against her. He has her mother flown into the county, claiming to be the Deputy’s boyfriend who wants to surprise her with a family reunion. The Deputy arrives expecting trouble and plays along to keep her mother safe. But when it turns out that John’s also invited her father along, John realizes he vastly underestimated just how much drama a family other than his can have. He picked one Hell of a family to fake-date into.





	Helpless

Nicolette Raylan sidled along the gardens dotting the exterior of Seed Ranch. She had been summoned there by John himself hours ago, somehow on her private channel. It had been a simple request, come to the Ranch to discuss ‘a deal involving your Atonement.’ 

It was the biggest, most obvious trap she had seen in the county so far. She had always been one to go in guns blazing to spring said traps in order to diffuse a situation. But this… this was a little too good to be true. 

There were no guards around. She hadn’t found any traces of snipers. The place had half of its floodlights out. And then the stranger bits: the sandbags were gone, the mounted gun was gone, and the crates of Bliss and God knew what else were nowhere to be found. 

The place looked like your average McMansion now. The distinct “Danger, Will Robinson!” vibe it gave off was missing for once. It was other-wordly. 

Go figure, the place looking normal set off all sorts of red flags. 

She made two more sweeps around the perimeter and found the same result. No guards, no guns, no nothing. The only evidence that the house was being lived in was the glow from the lights inside. 

Something was definitely wrong. She went over to the entryway into the great room and reached to open one of the doors, only to hear it unlock right as she reached for it. Not one to give John the satisfaction of thinking he had the upper hand, she rushed forward, one hand unclipping the .44 at her hip, the other raised to punch him in the face- 

In the blink of an eye, there was a firm press of fingers at the small of her back that guided her forward and slowed her advance all at once, and another hand that smacked the .44 down and away. 

Most importantly however, there was also a warm, insistent press of lips against hers. 

Her eyes flew open at that particular detail and she let out an indignant squawk into said kiss when she realized John had been the instigator. What the fuck. What the fuck. **_What the FUCK._ **

John pulled back before she had the chance to deliver the slap she had pulled her hand back for- and caught her hand to boot and forced it down- and then brought it up between them and practically caressed it with his own. “Dear, you’re home. It’s good to see you. Hope your day wasn’t… that tough,” he declared loudly. Too loudly. Even for him. 

She scowled. “Oh, you of all people should know how bad it was, you f-” 

He put two fingers to her lips to stop her, and she had half a mind to reach up and break them, but the confused part of her who knew that would deter getting answers won over. 

“I do understand. And that’s why I arranged a little surprise for you. It’ll make everything better. I promise,” John insisted. He crossed behind her in order to close the doors, and when she stepped back, content to say ‘fuck it’ and run, he caught her around the waist and pushed her further into the room. 

She scowled at him. It was the first thing he done that didn’t seem bizarre.

There was a warning in his tone, she had known his voice and inflection well enough. But that was the first thing that remotely made sense. Why was he being so cheery? Why the fuck had he kissed her? Her radio wasn’t around, none seemed to be planted anywhere- what was his goal? Her train of thought promptly derailed when he took her hands in his and started guiding her towards the side door. He held firm when she tried to squeeze out of his grip. 

He set her with a look that was nearly as hypnotic as Joseph looking at her and she had the absurd thought to be impressed until he stopped walking and looked off to the side.

She followed his gaze and nearly choked on her own tongue. 

The answer to most of her questions was sitting at the kitchen counter. A woman with wavy greying black hair and green eyes- an aged mirror of her own face- looked up at her and smiled. 

Nicolette’s heart plummeted accordingly. “Mom?!” 

“Honey! Hi!” Isabelle Raylan beamed and got to her feet. She pulled her daughter into a hug. 

Nicolette pulled her in closer and made a point to move so her body was between her mother and John. 

Stranger yet, John seemed to move away from them on his own accord- no looming with the intent to intimidate, no leaning forward in order to make a point, not  _ anything.  _

None of this made sense. What the Hell was her mother doing here? What the Hell had John planned? How was she still alive in his company? Was he planning on killing her in front of her? Christ, she couldn’t go through anything like _ that night _ again. She looked at John for a moment, and he gave a predatory grin over her mother’s shoulder. So this was one of his games. She was going to have to play if she wanted to get herself and her mother out of there alive, that much was certain. 

Nicolette released Isabelle from the hug and looked her up and down. “Are you okay? Did he-” 

Isabelle seemed none the wiser to her daughter’s concerns. “I’m fine, a little jetlagged, but otherwise happy to be here.” 

Nicolette gave her another once over. No injuries, she didn’t looked drugged- or Blissed. She was the picture of health. “Jetlagged…?” Nicolette began. “Hap…?” No one was happy to be in Hope County anymore. 

Isabelle looked from her to John. “My, you really did surprise her.” 

To her own surprise again, Nicolette looked at John and waited for an explanation that she was sure he’d have- with hardly veiled threats thrown in to boot. 

John stepped forward. “Well, I know how hard our girl works, and I figured she could use the mental break, so I pulled some strings and had  _ home _ flown to  _ her  _ for the holidays instead of the other way around.” 

Nicolette opened her mouth, ready to fire off the new set of questions that sentence spurred- and then she chose to focus on ‘our girl’ in that sentence. ‘Our girl.’ He had kissed her. Her mother was unharmed and happy to be there. And oblivious to any danger.  _ What. The. Fuck.  _

“How sweet,” Isabelle replied smoothly. 

John offered up what would’ve been a charming smile to those who didn’t know better- case in point her mother. He looked between them, then clapped overenthusiastically. “Where are my manners. Mrs. Raylan, can I offer you a glass of anything? Water, wine? What’s your poison?” 

Nicolette wanted to strangle the man when his grin went downright evil at the last word. She turned to her mother. “I can get it for you.” 

“Nonsense. Your mother is my guest,  _ dear _ .” 

“And she’s  _ my _ mother, John,” Nicolette countered through clenched teeth. 

Isabelle looked between them briefly, concerned. “I’m fine as is, I don’t need anything.” 

“It’s no trouble. Besides, my very brave cop girlfriend just got home from work and needs to relax as much as her mother does after a long day of travel.” 

Nicolette scowled at him, then when she saw her mother look between them expectantly, she figured out a way to get out of the situation. “Bags!” she blurted. “Mom, did you bring luggage with you?” 

“Oh, yes, it’s right over here-” Isabelle motioned at the suitcase in the corner. 

“Great. We’ll bring it to the guestroom.” There were probably five. She took the suitcase. “Excuse us, Mom. John, let’s go.” . She grabbed John by the arm and yanked him over to the archway on the other side of the room and into a second living room- because of course John was  _ that _ rich- she picked an adjoining door and shoved him inside, hoping it was anything bigger than a closet. 

It ended up being a bathroom, but she would take what she could get. 

She whirled on him. “You’re taking my mother hostage?! What happened to waiting for me to say yes?! What happened to not forcing it like your siblings?!” 

Charming facade gone, John slipped right back into that thinly veiled air of danger around him was back. “I considered the fact that having a familiar face around might ease your mind and have you hear us out.” 

“So you  _ threaten my mother _ .” 

“Oh, I don’t threaten, Deputy. I don’t want to harm her. Or you. I’ve told you that. We only want you to see things our way.”

“What, and if I say yes, she goes home?” 

“If she wants. Maybe I’ll make a convert of her, too.” 

Nicolette advanced on him. “Stay away from her.” 

John put his hands up in mock surrender. “Won’t interact more than necessary. Scout’s honor.” 

“You were never a scout,” she countered. “That’s more Jacob’s speed.” 

“He’s a modern one. We never had the time to be scouts back in the day,” John objected. 

Nicolette laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry, is the murderous psychopath giving a shitty attempt at a sympathy grab?” 

“I never kill people.” 

“Tell that to Rae-Rae, Alex, and everybody else who crossed you,” she countered. 

“Well, you haven’t crossed me. Not yet.” 

“That’s not helping this.” She opened the door back up and went down the hall opening every door on each side of the hallway before she found a bedroom- not remotely extravagant enough to be his. She set the luggage down and turned sharply and nearly collided with his chest in the process. “So how long do you plan to keep her your guest?” 

“She’s retired, is she not? As long as it takes.” 

“She doesn’t like relaxing for too long. She’ll get tired of this place after two weeks.” 

“Then for both of your sakes, I hope it takes you two weeks to see the light.” 

“Never,” she snapped. “And if you don’t expect my people to come to my rescue if it comes to that-” 

“Then they along with your mother will die,” John cut her off, and grinned when her face fell. “So I highly suggest you play nice, at least for now, and maybe I’ll let you go warn them off in person. I highly suggest you convince her to stay longer. I’m doing this for you. I could’ve had her down in my bunker, but I chose comfort. Remember that, Dearest.” 

“Fuck off.” 

John’s grin widened again, then immediately turned on his heel and left the room. He turned back around the corner and went through the door leading back to the great room. He leaned over the railing. “I realized that was extremely rude of us to leave you here. Allow me to give you a tour.” He descended the staircase, and Nicolette had to stop from gagging when the bastard offered her his elbow.

She couldn’t help the brief pained look when Isabelle looked from his elbow, to him, let out an impressed little “Oh”, and hooked her arm around his. She raised her eyebrows at Nicolette. Of course he would manage to charm her mother _in seconds. Of course._

Nicolette caught John’s warning look over Isabelle’s shoulder and forced a smile. “Great.” 

John led them back into the main part of the house, and Nicolette resigned herself to whatever kind of fate she was about to get into. At least this meant she could get a decent idea of a floorplan to tell the Resistance if they ever raided the place. 


End file.
